Uncle Sam offering US citizenship to foreigners

May 06 2009 by Gareth McConnell

Army targeting non-US residents

A pilot program aimed at offering language and healthcare specialists a route to US citizenship via the US Army has been launched in Los Angeles.

A total of 10 Army recruiting offices from the LA area will aim to enlist 1,000 military recruits with specialist language and medical skills living and working in the US on temporary visas and student visas.

The program, initially launched in New York, has proved a success attracting over 7,000 applications from highly educated immigrants around the country.

With the Army experiencing a shortfall in soldiers with medical, foreign language and various cultural abilities, the move to allow non-US nationals the chance to earn US citizenship is effective in keeping the army operational.

The US Army hopes to fill 333 healthcare professionals including doctors, dentists and nurses as well as 557 people with any of the 35 languages spoken in West Africa, including Arabic and Yoruba.

"What we're looking for are critical, vital skills," said Naomi Verdugo, a recruiter in the office of the assistant secretary of the Army.

To be eligible applicants must have lived and worked in the US or be on a US student visa legally for at least two years.

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